Art of and apparatus for the treatment of plant fiber or the like



Aug. 24 1926.

C. C. SELDEN ET AL ART OF AND APPARATUS FOR THE TREATMENT OF PLANT FIBER OR THE L IKE Filed Oct. 15, 1925 INVENTOR. 7266 6:6 am and 'Zfi.

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Aug. 24, 1926;

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

CLARENCE ,0. SELDEN AND ROBERT D. PEARSON, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORN IA. I

ART or AND APPARATUS roaTHE TREATMENT or PLANT FIBER on." THE LIKE.

. lpp'lication filed October 15, 1925. Seria1.No..62,578.

Our invention relatesto an apparatus and art for treating plant fiber to increase the strength and. life thereof,' and to improve the finish of the fiber and the articles manufactured therefrom. y a

It is known that the cotton being charged with its natural oil by allowing it to remain in the pod on the plant, the cotton fibers will be considerably stronger in tension tests, breaking test, and will have a longer life-and better finish than the cotton which. must be harvested before being fully mature, or such cotton which is naturally dry by being grown in a very dry. climate under irrigation, or without irrigation, conditions, and therefore it Will be seen that the said dry cotton should be processed with its natural or substitute oil, or other vapors to establish the' desired breaking test.

The object of our invention 'is to provide an apparatus and for treating plant fiber and more particularly cotton fiber, by applying to the fiber or by filling the same with a predetermined quantity of its natural or substitute oils, moisture, or both, to increase the strength and life and to improve the finish of the fiber, and to reduce the waste and fly, and to facilitate easier spinning from more pliable and elastic fibers, and to produce stronger and better finished articles manufactured therefrom.

Other objects and advantages will be made manifestin the following specification for an embodiment of the-invention illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which Fi e 1 is a longitudinal section of a drawing and doubling frame with the appa- 'ratus embodying our invention attached thereto.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary plan view of said frame. I

In the drawing 1 indicates a standard drawing and doubling frame. Skeins of fiber such as cotton 2 are drawn out of containers 3 at one side of the frame 1 between drawing rollers 4 which compress the skeins flat at 5 and deliver the same into containers '6 at the other side of the frame.

Our invention includes a housing 10 wh1ch we mount u on the drawing and doubling frame 1, said housing being formed with a mixing chamber 11 at one end, an initial treatin chamber 12 in communication with and adJacent said chamber, a sump 13 at the bottom of said initial treating chamber, a final treating chamber 14, a sump 15 at the bottom of said final treating chamber, and a passage 16 connecting said initial treating chamber and said final treating chamber. The housin 10 is mounted on the frame 1 with the init al treating chamber 12 at the entrance side of rollers 4, the

final treating chamber at the delivery side of sa1d rollers, and the passage 16 extendin from said initial treatingchamber over sai through which the skeins are passed out of The mixthe chamber into the container 6. mg chamber 11 is "provided with an inlet 21 in the top thereof through which is introduced an atomizer 22. A drain 23 is provided in the bottom of the mixing chamber 11. A drain 24 is 13. In the up chamber 12 1s a door 25. The sump 15 is provided -with a drain 26. The final, treatmg chamber 14 is provided with an outlet provided inthe sump 27 which may be connected with thesource of oil supply through which outlet the oil vapor may escape from said chamber after its final treatment'of' the skeins 2. A door 28 is provided in the top of the final treatin chamber 14.

fiatural fiber oil, or its substitute oil is atomized in the atomizer 22 and introduced into the mixing chamber 11, from which the oil passes in a fog or vapor form into the initial treating chamber 12 where it initially impregnates the skeins 2, then passes through passage 16 into the final treating chamber 14 in a highly concentrated condiper wall of the initial treating tion Where it finally, thoroughly and permanently impregnates the inltially treated and flat rolled skeins 2, the remaining oil vapor passin out of the chamber through outlet 27 an back to its source of supply from which it is again used as above described.

We claim 1. In combination with a drawing and doubling frame, a housing formed with a mixing chamber, a treating chamber and communi'cating means between said chambers,

the skeins of fiber, passing through the frame, being passed through said treating chamber, and means for introducing atomized oil-vapor into said mixing chamber.

2. In combination with a drawing and doubling frame, a housing formed with a mixing chamber, an initial treating chan'r ber, a final treating chamber, and a passage leading from said initial treating chamber to said final treating chamber, said initial treating chamber and said final treating chamber being so arranged that the fiber skeins pass first through the initial treating chamber, then through the drawing rollers of the frame, and then through the final treating chamber, and means for introducing atomized oil-vapor into said mixing chamber.

3. In combination with a drawing and doubling frame, a housing formed witha mixing chamber, a treating chamber and communicating means between saidchambers, the skeins of fiber, passing through the frame, being first passed through said treating chamber, and means for introducing atomized oil-Vapor into said mixing chamber.

4. In combination with a drawing and doubling frame, a housing formed with a mixing chamber, a treating chamber and communicating means between said chambers, the skeins of fiber, passing through the frame, being passed through said treating chamber, after passing between the drawing,

communicating means between said cham:

bers, the skeins of fiber, passing through the frame, being passed through said treating chamber, means for introducing atomized oil-vapor into said mixing chamber, and a door in the top of said treating chamber.

In testimony whereof we hereunto aflix our signatures.

CLARENCE G. SELDEN. ROBERT D. PEARSON. 

